Sunday, 27 April 2008

Preston-bound

So I'm off for a week of Editorial Leaders learning at UCLAN in Preston.
This is the course that first piqued my interest in how the world of journalism is changing, and how we can increase our engagement with readers; and made me realise just how much I had to learn about the whole subject - hence this blog.
As usual the weather is going to be rubbish so I'll have to lug laptop, books, brollies and other essentials around in the rain, but I'm looking forward to seeing all the other course mob again (in the real world - I talk to some of them on Twitter etc all the time).
This is the last residential we'll be on and I'll miss the face-to-face contact with people in the same boat as me. There have been some rumblings from up on high that more meets between peers are planned in future and I hope it happens; it's good to be with a bunch of journalists who are all wrestling with similar issues and to thrash out ideas - and have a laugh.
I find it plain damn weird at work when we have away-days to brainstorm that heads of department are always considered the best people to participate - whether it's from editorial, marketing, advertising or circulation.
There are so many bright people working in my office - of all ages and at all levels of their careers - that it would make far more sense if we mixed up the knowledge up a bit.
I was in a meeting recently when the suggestion that reporters with laptops could hotmail a story across from a meeting without having to get systems access prompted the question: "Will they have hotmail?". Aaargh! of course they will; what they won't have is their own work laptop.
In other news I had vague idea that I would try to learn more Yahoo Pipes this weekend. I understand the concept but only in the most tentative way. So I figured I could figure it out as I went along. No no no no no.
Luckily I get to see the depressingly bright Joanna Geary this week and I'm going to buy her a beer and make her explain it in words of one syllable.